Beginning iPad Application Development is written to help jumpstart beginning iPad developers. It covers the various topics in such a manner that you will progressively learn without being overwhelmed by the details. It adopts the philosophy that the best way to learn is by doing, hence the numerous Try It Out sections in all the chapters, which first show you how to build something and then explain how things work.
Although iPad programming is a huge topic, the aim for this book is to get you started with the fundamentals, and help you understand the underlying architecture of the SDK, and appreciate why things are done certain ways. After reading this book (and doing the exercises), you will be well equipped to tackle your next iPad programming challenge.
This book is for the beginning iPad developer who wants to start developing iPad applications using the Apple iPhone SDK. To truly benefit from this book, you should have some background in programming and at least be familiar with object-oriented programming concepts. If you are totally new to the Objective-C language, you might want to jump straight to Appendix D, which provides an overview of the language. Alternatively, you can use Appendix D as a quick reference while you tackle the various chapters, checking out the syntax as you try the exercises. Depending on your learning pattern, one of those approaches may work best for you.